On the basis of NMR spectroscopy (1H and 13C) it can be shown that in water, dimethylsulfoxide and p-dioxane only the tautomer 1 of L-ascorbic acid is found in a measurable amount. Upon formation of the mono-anion la deprotonation occurs on the hydroxyl group attached to C-3; in addition the hydroxyl group on C-2 is deprotonated in case of the di-anion 1b. Both anions do not open the lactone ring.
After oxidation with iodine in aqueous solution only the dimer of dehydroascorbic acid is detected. This is hydrolized with a half-life of three hours to the monomeric dehydro ascorbic acid dihydrate 7. In dimethylsulfoxide the oxidation rate is decreased, and therefore the formation of the monomeric non-hydratized dehydroascorbic acid 10 can be monitored. This undergoes ringclosure relatively fast to give the half-ketal 13, the reaction of which via 14 leads to the optical active dimeric dehydroascorbic acid 6. The L-ascorbic acid acetonide 15 is oxidised by iodine to 16 which undergoes racemization via the enol 17 to give 18. This forms an equilibrium with compound 19.
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